The Centennial Plaza construction project continues this semester as the health of the plaza trees comes into question.
“Arborists are monitoring the construction that pertains to the well-being of the trees,” said Director of Horticulture and Grounds Kevin Tucker. “In two weeks, the (arborists) are treating the trees with growth hormones to ensure they are in good health.”
While the arborists oversee the well-being of the trees, W&O Construction has been working on improvements since the completion of the demolition phase last November.
Despite the weather, the contractor has made improvements with construction, according to Tucker. He said brick is being placed for the concrete sidewalks, the electrical wiring for the walkway, the lights are complete, and the steep walls are being constructed.
“The steep walls are the little short walls that you can see. They are where people can sit. More information will be available in the coming months,” said Tucker.
The Centennial Plaza Committee has also met with an artist who is providing a sculpture.
Despite the improvements of Centennial Plaza’s construction, the completion date has not yet been decided. Last November, the completion date was set for late spring.
In addition to the construction of Centennial Plaza, Jobe-Murphy Hall is being remodeled. The renovations caused the 200 students who lived there to move to other residence halls, according to Resident Assistant Aaron Webb.
“They were placed in Ellington-Warf or M.S. Cooper-Pinkerton or a New Hall, which are actually nicer than what Jobe-Murphy was,” Webb said. “So a lot of them were put in places that were even nicer than where they were.”
Jobe is expected to be finished this coming fall semester with Murphy being completed in Spring 2016.
Tucker noted that the weather is an ongoing issue that continues to delay progress. He explained that when the contractor is not able to work on the construction, the contractor gets additional time to work on the project.
